


Something not quite right

by TheSteinsGateFormula



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Angst, Child Abuse, Childhood Friends, Gaslighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28654536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSteinsGateFormula/pseuds/TheSteinsGateFormula
Summary: There was something off about Mr Asano, and it took Ren beating his friend in a test for him to realise it.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 99





	Something not quite right

When they were eleven, looking back Ren would admit he had been a little hesitant when Gakushuu asked him for a sleepover at the Asano residence, and it wasn’t like he didn’t want to, it was just…

M Asano reminded him of a serial killer in a certain thriller movie he wasn’t supposed to have watched…

It wasn’t even like Mr Asano had said anything creepy or bad to him, in fact, the most words they’d exchanged was a brief ‘hello’ when Ren had visited Gakushuu’s house once when they were eight.

It was just…something seemed off about the guy, and Gakushuu always seemed reluctant to talk about him for some reason.

Nevertheless, on Saturday morning he arrived on time at his friend’s house. Ren sighed, fixing his backpack on his shoulder as he looked up at the large imposing gate where a camera was looking right at him.

Still, though, Gakushuu wanted to spend time with him, so Ren couldn’t really say no since he knew how much little free time his friend had.

He still jumped a little when the gates automatically opened, feeling like he was stepping into a creepy mansion and not a luxury home.

His nerves faded a little when Gakushuu greeted him at the front door and actually smiled when he saw him, something that was rare.

He started to feel like he was worrying over nothing.

* * *

By the time dinner came and he actually sat down to have a meal with Mr Asano and Gakushuu, his nerves were nearly all gone.

Mr Asano had been nothing but nice to him! Which was a relief since he’d be his school principal next year.

“…Then when Gakushuu passed me the ball I got it in the goal before the time ran out!” Ren excitedly recounted their latest soccer match to Mr Asano while they ate.

“My how exciting.” Gakushuu’s dad smiled. “It seems you two make quite a team.”

Ren grinned. “Well, yeah!” He looked over at his friend and felt his smile waver when Gakushuu stayed quiet. “Right?”

Gakushuu quickly smiled but it seemed forced. “Yeah!”

Ren frowned a little, wondering what was wrong with him. For some reason, his friend seemed uncomfortable, almost meek, which was not what Gakushuu was like at all. He was always bossing people around and taking the leading role in everything.

“Do you have any preference for breakfast tomorrow, Sakakibara?” Mr Asano interrupted his thoughts. “My son wasn’t very forthcoming with your dietary requirements or preferences.”

Ren glanced up. “Oh, I don’t mind.” He eagerly ate his ramen, slurping up the noodles in appreciation. “Your housekeeper is a really good cook!”

He chuckled. “Well, thank you, I’ll pass on the compliment.” Mr Asano smiled at his son. “Have you made sure Ren’s been set up comfortably in the guest room, son?”

Ren looked confused and spoke before Gakushuu got the chance. “I don’t need a guest room. It’s a sleepover, so I’ve already set up my sleeping back in Gakushuu’s room.”

“Oh, I see.” Mr Asano smiled. “Apologies, I didn’t realise the two of you were so close.”

Ren masked his confusion since that seemed an odd question. “Um, well, yeah.” He smiled at Gakushuu who had stayed quiet. “We’re best friends.”

“Of course, you are.” Mr Asano’s smile stayed the same. “In that case, do you need any more books to help you study tonight?”

Ren frowned and was about to say that studying wasn’t really a sleepover activity, but Gakushuu interrupted him.

“We have all the books we need,” Gakushuu replied evenly.

_Oh, so they really would be studying. Okay then…_

Ren shrugged it off, it wasn’t really that unexpected since he knew Gakushuu was always studying, even in their time off, and they did have a few small tests lined up for the next few weeks to prepare them for their middle school entrance exams.

Ren already knew the entrance exam for Kunugigaoka would be hard since Gakushuu had already warned him, so maybe it was a good idea to study more.

“You’ll be attending Kunugigaoka next year, won’t you, Sakakibara?” Mr Asano said like he’d read his thoughts, which was kind of weird.

“Oh, yeah!” Ren smiled. “Gakushuu convinced me.” He looked at his friend, waiting for him to drop in on the cue, but Gakushuu didn’t comment and drank some juice. “Yeah it’s…it’s gonna be great.” He quickly kept talking to fill the awkwardness. “We already talked about all the clubs we’re gonna join.”

The smile on Mr Asano’s face grew. “Well, the two of you will certainly take things by storm.” He reached out and patted Ren’s head. “I’ll have to keep an eye on you.”

Ren looked amused but then jumped when the glass of juice Gakushuu was holding slipped and smashed on the floor.

When he looked over at him Gakushuu seemed horrified by what he’d done and was staring at them with wide eyes, which seemed a little overdramatic since it was just a glass.

“Oh, dear.” The grip on his head tightened briefly before turning loose and letting go. “Son, you need to be more careful,’ Mr Asano said calmly, still smiling. “Go into the kitchen and get the brush.”

“I’ll help.” Ren was halfway out of his seat, but then Mr Asano placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“There’s no need, he can handle this,” Mr Asano told him lightly.

Ren watched Gakushuu in concern when his friend’s hands shook before balling into a fist. He started to feel a weird dread in his stomach for some reason, even though there wasn’t a valid reason to feel like that.

“I don’t mind helping…” Ren said, even though Gakushuu had already left for the kitchen.“…Cleaning up glass is dangerous.” His step-mom and dad never let him clean up glass because he could cut himself, but then again it wasn’t like they were little kids, they had cleaned up broken beakers at school before.

“It’ll be fine,” Mr Asano replied, not placating his concerns. “My son can be quite clumsy sometimes.”

Ren couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow since Gakushuu was rarely ever clumsy at school. “Okay…”

His nerves started to grow, something about the whole thing seeming off.

“So, my son’s been helping you study?”

Ren glanced up. “Oh, yeah.” He quickly smiled. “He’s a really good teacher.”

Mr Asano looked amused. “That’s good to hear.”

Ren nodded, eating some more. “He helps me a lot, so I feel kind of guilty sometimes.” He smiled sheepishly. “But I help him study Geography and Japanese, so I guess we’re even.”

“Ah, I see.” Mr Asano smiled. “I didn’t realise he was struggling with those two subjects.”

Ren’s smile wavered. “Oh, well, he’s not really. I’m just better at poems and stuff than him.”

“Then it’s a good thing he relies on you,” Mr Asano commented as Gakushuu came in with a cloth, a dustpan and brush. “I know my son can be quite stubborn to work with.”

“Uh, not really,” Ren tried to laugh it off, glancing at Gakushuu who was cleaning up the mess. “Uh, Gakushuu, let me help—”

“Have you considered any other middle schools, besides my own, Sakakibara?” Mr Asano asked, regaining his attention. “Just out of curiosity.”

Ren’s brow arched. “Well, yeah, just as a back-up, but I really want to go to Kunugigaoka.” He forced a cheeky smile. “So if you wanna skip over the entrance exam…” His smile faded when Gakushuu looked up in alarm like he’d said something stupid.

Mr Asano just chuckled. “Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s possible.” He glanced down at Gakushuu. “You’ll make sure he’s brought up to speed, won’t you, son?”

Gakushuu’s lips set in a thin line, which garnered some more concern. “Of course, sir…”

_Sir?_

Ren’s stomach gave another twist, looking between the two in confusion. Looking at Mr Asano warily and then at Gakushuu who was tense and silent.

Maybe Mr Asano was just strict? That wasn’t unsual, he was a teacher after all.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Ren said confidentially, sliding off his seat to help Gakushuu. “I can wipe the floor.” He took the cloth before the other boy could protest. “I don’t mind.”

Gakushuu looked annoyed, probably because it wasn’t proper host and guest protocol; but who cared?

Ren shrugged it off and started cleaning up the juice while Gakushuu stayed where he was for another second before hurrying off with the glass in the dustpan. He glanced up at Mr Asano who smiled down at him in amusement.

Ren forced a smile, trying to ignore the uneasiness mounting when it felt more and more like something wasn’t right.

* * *

Ren waited until Gakushuu was fast asleep at around 11 PM, before venturing out of the room to investigate. He looked over his shoulder to glance at the boy who was peacefully slumbering and drooling on his pillow.

Maybe Mr Asano was secretly a drug lord or something criminal. Then maybe that would explain why Gakushuu seemed, unlike his usual self.

Ren’s bare feet pattered along the wooden floor, keeping an eye out like he felt he was being watched. The house felt creepy at night like it really was haunted. The white pristine walls looking grey and the pale bright wooden floors looked duller with the large shadows cast over from the night sky in the windows.

Ren quietly wandered downstairs, the house wasn’t overcomplicated but there did seem to be a lot of hallways and it was hard to see in the dark since nearly all the lights were off, and Gakushuu had only shown him the way to his bedroom and bathroom.

He went around a corner and into a hallway where the light was on, there were two doors on opposite walls where the hallway lead to a dead end and a window.

The door nearest to him was the one that made him stop and frown, it was smaller than the other one and more worn down, and more importantly, there were two bolted locks on the outside of the door, as well as a door keyhole.

Why would you need that many locks on the outside of a door?

Ren narrowed his eyes suspiciously and tried to reach for the bolts but they were too high up. He looked around for something to stand on and ventured out of the hallway to grab a tall stool he’d seen near the entranceway.

He quietly as possible carried the heavy stool to the door, nearly gasping when he put it down, and clambered onto it, unlocking the door.

Ren’s hands shook slightly, expecting something to jump out at him when he opened the door, the keyhole to the door being the only thing that wasn’t locked which made the door easy to open. He braced himself for whatever was inside but then frowned when he saw it was just an empty closet.

Why would you have that many locks on a closet?

His stomach twisted a little, finding the situation more and more strange as he looked inside. The closet space was just big enough to fit him, so there was enough room for storage, so why keep it empty?

His suspicion grew when he looked at the inside of the door and saw dents in it that had been patched up. Then his suspicion started to turn to fear when he realised there were large long scratch marks on the door and on the walls of the closet. The wallpaper was torn and scratched in places.

He touched the back of his neck when he got goosebumps, there was something very wrong happening and he didn’t know how—

“Were you unable to sleep, Sakakibara?”

Ren jumped back in alarm and nearly screamed when Mr Asano suddenly appeared by the door, hand resting on the frame.

“I-I…” Ren quickly backed away, feeling like he was in a horror movie, everything around him feeling cold and dark. “I was…I…I…”

“Did you come down for a glass of water?” Mr Asano stared at him curiously like nothing was wrong. “Are you thirsty?”

Ren opened and then closed his mouth, not looking at the closet he could very easily be shoved into. “Y-yes.”

“That’s fine.” Mr Asano smiled, closing the door and bolting it shut. “I understand being in someone else’s house can be confusing.” He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Come on, let me show you to the kitchen.”

Ren felt like a puppet being strung along, feeling nauseous the more he thought of every horrible reason why there were scratches on the inside of that closet wall.

He watched Mr Asano nervously as the man poured him a glass of water in the kitchen while Ren sat down at the breakfast table.

“I don’t think your parents would appreciate you being up so late.” Mr Asano placed the glass of water in front of him. “Then again, I suppose I’m hypocritical being up this hour.” He smiled disarmingly while Ren stared at him nervously. “Is everything alright, Sakakibara?” His smile faded, looking concerned. “You look unwell, should I call your parents?”

Ren gripped the glass of water tightly, growing confused when the concern on Mr Asano’s face seemed genuine. “…No…sir…um.” He gulped the water when his throat felt dry. “I’m fine.”

Mr Asano hummed, sitting down opposite him. “Are you sure?”

Ren stayed tensed, wiping his mouth and feeling cold and out of his depth. He tried to think of how the characters in movies would handle something like this but all he remembered was them being scared or doing something stupid.

Why was he even scared?

It was just a closet, it wasn’t like there was a dead body or blood or something horrible. It was just a closet with a lock on. That wasn’t weird…that wasn’t…and Mr Asano was being nice and was nothing but welcoming, and he was a _teacher._

“…Why is that closet empty?” The question came out before he could stop it, like vomit.

“The closet?” Mr Asano looked surprised by the question. “Oh, well, I normally keep my books in there but they’ve gotten dusty so I asked the housekeeper to do a clean. To be honest, I need to get it repaired since the doors faulty, it keeps opening so I have to put the locks on it to keep it sealed up.”

“Oh…” Ren frowned since the door hadn’t looked broken to him. “But…there’s…why are there scratches inside?”

Mr Asano frowned. “Well it is an old closet and it hasn’t been refurbished like the rest of the house.” He smiled. “A lot of scruff marks and scratches have happened due to moving objects back and forth.”

Ren’s frown grew. “The scratches looked deep…”

“Did they?” Mr Asano was giving him a curious look like Ren was talking nonsense. “I’ll have to check if we have rats or mice.”

Ren chewed his tongue, something still seeming off. Mr Asano sounded very confident in his explanation but…

They had a housekeeper, and Gakushuu always spoke fondly of her, so if something was wrong then she’d surely say something or stop it. If something was wrong, Gakushuu would have said. They were best friends.

Right?

“I’ll call an expert in the morning to be sure.” Mr Asano smiled at him again. “But it is rather late, and I know you boys will have a full morning planned for the rest of tomorrow.”

“Yeah…” Ren nodded, feeling conflicted. “Um, thank you for the water, sir.” He drank the rest of it quickly even though it made him feel bloated. “I’m sorry for wandering around.”

Mr Asano stood up. “No need to apologise, I know Gakushuu likes to wander as well.” He smiled in amusement. “He used to dress in a T-rex jumpsuit and lurk around the halls at night when he was a toddler emploring.”

Ren laughed a little when he imagined that, starting to relax a bit. “Wow, I can’t imagine.”

“Oh, yes, he was quite the thrill-seeker.” Mr Asano seemed amused, patting Ren on the head. “I’m glad he has friends now to keep him on track.”

Ren smiled more, lowering his guard a little when he started to feel ridiculous for being scared. Mr Asano was a nice person, and he was never mean to Gakushuu or yelled at him, he just seemed a little strict. Lots of parents were like that.

If Gakushuu was being mistreated it would have been obvious by now considering they were best friends. And if Mr Asano wasn’t a nice person, then why did he win all these awards and have so many people respect him?

He couldn’t allow himself to relax fully, something still not seeming right, but if Mr Asano was lying then that would mean…

Gakushuu would have told him if he was being locked in a closet, right? Ren had known him for years.

But rats and books? Really? It sounded strange and paper-thin explanation wise…

But, Mr Asano was a teacher, that meant he had to have a special licence to even be around children. If anything were suspicious the police would have realised…

“Sakikabara?” Mr Asano looked concerned again. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes,” Ren said quickly, standing up. “Sorry.” He forced a smile. “I think I’m just tired.”

Mr Asano seemed to accept the excuse and patted him on the shoulder as he walked passed. “Of course, you should get your rest.”

“Yeah…” Ren kept his smile in place until Mr Asano was gone. His confliction growing the more the man’s behaviours and what was happening became confusing. Small specks of doubt clouding things up and making it harder to understand.

* * *

Ren did keep thinking about that night over the next week or so, even though he kept trying to tell himself everything was fine.

Gakushuu was acting like everything was fine, so he should as well.

He did keep checking to see if his friend had any bruises or if his fingers were damaged, but there was nothing, which meant he probably was just being paranoid because Gakushuu was physically fine.

So he tried to forget about it, especially with the tests coming up.

“Are you focusing!” Gakushuu nagged him, slamming a ruler on the desk.

“Hey!” Ren scowled, the two of them in the library. “I am! No need to be a jerk.”

Gakushuu rolled his eyes, tapping the ruler on the pile of books. “I’m just trying to make sure you don’t embarrass yourself and fail.”

Ren smiled. “I didn’t know you cared so much.”Gakushuu whacked him. “Ow!” He rubbed his arm. “Okay, fine! I was only joking…” He gave him a smile that normally made the girls in the class melt, but just made his friend glare more. “Don’t worry, I’ll try my best!”

And that he did, even though he’d regret it later.

* * *

Ren’s eyes widened in wonder when he saw his mark. “Gakushuu, look!” The large letters showing full marks presented proudly with gold stars, running over to his friend’s desk. “I got the best marks in all the tests!” He grinned, knowing how proud his dad would be. “I didn’t get one question wrong!”

Gakushuu stayed silent, staring at his desk where he was holding one test paper that said 90/100 marks. The rest of the class starting to leave to go home.

Ren started to feel bad when he realised Gakushuu wouldn’t appreciate his boasting. “Sorry! I’m just excited. My step-mom’s been pushing me to get higher marks and—”

Gakushuu didn’t say a word, grabbing his bag and standing up from his desk. The test papers gathered in his arms. “Good for you.”

Ren froze, staring at him in surprise. “Gakushuu?” He tried to reach out. “Look, I just was—”

Gakushuu pulled away from him and rushed out of the classroom without a second glance, leaving him alone to stare after him.

* * *

Things only got worse from there.

“Hey, Gakushuu.” Ren plastered on a tight smile, walking over to his friend at lunchtime while the rest of the class got out their lunches from their bags. “Mind if I sit here?”

Gakushuu didn’t reply, eating a protein bar, which seemed strange since he normally ate a bento box his housekeeper prepared for him.

Ren stood there awkwardly, feeling his smile fade. “Um…Gakushuu?”

His friend ignored him.

Ren looked around uncomfortably when a few students started staring. “Uh, I’ll just pull up a seat until you finish.” He quickly dragged a spare seat over. “So—”

As soon as he sat down, Gakushuu abruptly ate the rest of the bar and packed up his thing, not looking at him once as everything was stuffed in his bag as he left the desk.

Nearly all the class were watching now as Gakushuu not so subtly scraped the chair back under the desk and walked over to the back of the classroom, as far away from Ren as possible.

“Hey, what did you do?” One of their mutual friends whispered from the desk next to Ren.

Ren frowned. “I didn’t do anything.” Then he grimaced, remembering the marks. “At least, I don’t think so…”

* * *

It stretched on for another two weeks.

It was getting even worse now because everyone in class seemed to think it was Ren’s fault. Like Gakushuu was ignoring him because he’d done something awful.

“I didn’t do anything!” He snapped, losing his temper when one of the girls asked him for what felt like the 100th time.

Why did everyone think it was his fault?

The group of girls bristled, frowning.

“We were just asking,” the tallest girl, Imai, complained.

“Then just mind your own business,” Ren snapped, before marching off to eat lunch in the cloakroom while the rest of them were gossiping.

“I’m sure it won’t last,” Ren’s teacher comforted him when she found him eating lunch alone in the cloakroom later on. “Friends have disagreements all the time.”

“But I didn’t do anything,” Ren insisted, a lump in his throat. “I don’t know what to do.”

His teacher sighed, her round and wrinkled face pulled into a frown. “Let me speak with him to see if I can get it resolved. Would that help?”

Ren nodded, grimacing when he thought of how awkward it would be getting a teacher involved, but Gakushuu couldn’t just ignore him forever…at least hopefully not.

* * *

He instantly regretted accepting the teacher’s help when she sat them down in the teachers' lounge.

“Now, Asano.” She smiled at Gakushuu who’s expression was blank. “I understand you seem to be upset with Sakakibara here. Perhaps it would help if you discussed it?”

Gakushuu remained silent for a while. “…Why?”

She frowned. “I’m sorry?”

“Why would it help?” Gakushuu replied coldly, making Ren tense more.

Their teacher sighed. “Asano, I just want you and Ren to resolve this. You were such good friends.”

Gakushuu’s expression remained closed off. “And?”

Ren spoke before the teacher could. “Look, I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry I got a good mark.” He looked at him pleadingly. “Can we just talk about—”

Gakushuu stood up out of his seat before he could finish and left.

* * *

Ren’s eyes were stinging when he tried to repeatedly call Gakushuu’s house. The other boy wouldn’t return his messages or calls now that he’d blocked him. It was like he’d completely cut Ren off in a blink.

He kept waiting for someone to pick up the house phone, each ring feeling heavier and longer than the last.

“Hello, Asano residence,” Mr Asano picked up the phone.

Ren quickly straightened up in his chair. “Mr Asano, it’s Ren Sakakibara. I came for the sleepover?”

“Ah, yes, Sakakibara,” he replied lightly. “How are you?”

Ren grimaced. “Um…well…” A lump got caught in his throat.

“Is something wrong?” he asked patiently.

Ren’s eyes started to sting. “It’s just…”

“Sakakibara, I know you haven’t joined my school yet,” Mr Asano said evenly. “But no matter what the concern, I always urge my students to confide in me if something’s wrong. That’s the responsibilities of teaching.”

Ren’s eyes watered, feeling a sob build up in his throat. “I…Gakushuu won’t speak to me anymore.”

“Any why is that?” he replied lightly.

“I don’t know.” Ren rubbed his eyes, knowing he’d never be able to live it down if he sobbed on the phone to his future principal. “He won’t tell me.” He clutched his phone tight. “He won’t even look at me anymore.”

“I see.” Mr Asano sounded understanding. “I know my son can be quite fickle with friendships. I know in my experience I’ve seen a few friends drift apart.”

Ren’s stomach tightened. “But he’s my best friend,” his voice was small, holding back tears. “I don’t know what I did wrong.”

“Yes, Sakakibara it’s alright I understand this is hard for you,” Mr Asano told him. “And to be honest, when you said you and Gakushuu were friends I was glad but also surprised.”

“What?” Ren’s eyes widened. “W-why?”

“Well, Gakushuu doesn’t get close to people, I just don’t think he values friendships as much as he should.”

Ren felt sick. “But…”

His memories tried to think of every moment of their friendship and how genuine it had felt. Even though Gakushuu could be reserved, distant, and maybe sometimes manipulative, but he’d never come off as pretending to like Ren. Gakushuu always made time for him. He seemed happy.

Or was Ren just an idiot into believing he was special?

Ren grimaced. “Um…can you, maybe…talk to him?” he asked hesitantly. “Or at least tell him I really need to talk to him?” There was a long pause from the other end. “Mr Asano?”

“Yes, of course,” Mr Asano replied placatingly. “I’ll make sure he knows you called.”

Ren nodded, feeling lost. “Thank you…I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“Not at all. Though, I do need to get back to work.”

Ren nodded, growing numb. “Okay. Bye then.” The line went dead before he could hang up.

* * *

Gakushuu had ignored him for a full month now, and even after the call with Mr Asano, nothing had changed, and Ren couldn’t take any more of it.

So he waited after school for the moment where it would be impossible for Gakushuu to ignore him.

Gakushuu was almost last out of the building, taking his time to pack up his things and walking slowly outside of the building.

Ren waited outside of the steps, anxiously waiting and feeling his emotions become more turbulent.

When Gakushuu stepped out appeared, walking down the steps, Ren pounced and grabbed—

Gakushuu elbowed him in the face instinctively. 

“AH!” Ren reeled back and touched his left cheek which was burning. “OW!!!”

“Ren?!” Gakushuu finally looked at him, eyes wide in shock. “What the hell are you doing?!”

“You hit me!” Ren yelled, clutching the left side of his face.

“You tried to grab me!” Gakushuu yelled.

“Because you won’t talk to me!” Ren shouted back, shoving him. “You’ve been ignoring me for a month! You won’t return my calls! And you’re being a massive jerk!”

Gakushuu tensed, growing guarded and taking a step back. “Look, I just don’t want to talk to you right now—”

“Why?!” Ren snapped, his eyes stinging. “Because I got a better mark than you?!” The other boy stayed silent, making it worse. “You’re the one who told me to study, you’re the one who kept telling me to try!” His eyes watered more. “I didn’t do anything wrong, so stop ignoring me! We’re supposed to be friends!” A sob tore through his throat, weeks of held back tears finally coming through. “You’re m-meant to be my best friend!”

“Ren…” Gakushuu’s voice was quiet.

Ren turned away from him and furiously wiped his tears when they ran down his cheeks and made the pain in his face hurt more. “Friends don’t treat each other like this…”

Gakushuu remained silent for a few seconds while Ren was struggling to get rid of his tears.

They were meant to be best friends, but had that all been in his head? What if Gakushuu had never been his friend and Mr Asano was right? Then Ren was just an idiot for thinking—

“I’m sorry.”

Ren stiffened when he heard that, wiping his tears as he turned around to look at Gakushuu. “What?”

Gakushuu grimaced, averting his gaze. “I’m sorry I ignored you.” He sighed and reached into the side pocket of his backpack. “Here.”

Ren sniffled when he was passed a yellow handkerchief. “You’re actually sorry?”

“Yes…” He still wasn’t looking at him.

Ren still felt his anger bubble, wiping his eyes with the handkerchief and wincing when he touched the bruised side of his face. “Then why did you do it!?”

Gakushuu stayed silent for a while. “…I was angry and then…” He trailed off, closing off.

Ren was sick of it. “Just tell me!” he snapped, shaking his shoulder. “If you don’t tell me then I’ll never speak to you again!” he shouted, surprising him. “A-and I’ll…” He felt awful but carried on. “I won’t go to middle school with you! I’ll leave and you’ll never see me again!”

That got a reaction, Gakushuu’s eyes widened when he heard that. “Ren—”

“I’m serious!” Ren rubbed his eyes, glaring at him. “So either tell me or t-that’s it.”

Gakushuu stayed silent for a while longer, avoiding Ren’s gaze while he looked around. “…I was angry,” he repeated, quieter this time. “And then my dad was…disappointed.” He grimaced. “And he…he said I failed because I lost focus. That you…” He looked at him, while Ren stared at him in dread. “That you distracted me.”

“What?” Ren’s voice cracked, feeling something sickening wash over him. “He…he told you that?” His mind flittered to the phone conversation and the sleepover, the locked closet with scratch marks, the smiles and everything else swirling together in a giant mess. “Why would…?”

The feeling of wrongness that had been plaguing him for over month came into a realisation, when he realised that Mr Asano wasn’t a nice person, he was just a liar that Ren had wanted to believe and been stupid enough to listen to.

“Ren?” Gakushuu moved forward when Ren stepped back and leant against the wall in nausea. “Look, we can just go to the nurse.”

“No.” Ren shook his head. “It’s fine.” He shook his head, trying to process everything. “I just…I feel really sick.”

Everything that had happened from that night came back with a perspective that made him feel ill. He felt like a stupid naïve little kid.

“Just sit down,” Gakushuu advised, pulling him towards the steps.

Ren sat down on the steps while Gakushuu sat next to him. “He lied.” He clenched his hands into fists. “He’s a liar!” He looked at his friend fiercely. “I wasn’t distracting you! He’s lying!”

Gakushuu grimaced. “…He doesn’t think he is.” He sighed, staring at his lap. “He isn’t really a liar, at least not his perspective…he just wants me to succeed—”

“That doesn’t mean he can get rid of me.” Ren grew angrier. “Why does he even hate me?”

“He doesn’t hate you.” Gakushuu sighed. “I actually think he might like you in his own way. He’s just thinking logically.”

“How is that logical?!” Ren snapped. “You didn’t even fail!”

“I got second—”

“That’s not failing, Gakushuu!” Ren snapped, looking at him sternly. “For all you know I could have just gotten lucky that day,” he reasoned, which made him frown. “Your dad’s a horrible person.”

“…I know,” Gakushuu said numbly. “I guess he probably was wrong about you being a distraction.” He sighed. “He isn’t exactly easy to live with.”

Ren winced, eyeing him cautiously. “…Like the closet with the locks?” His friend tensed, staying quiet for a moment. “He lied to me about that as well,” he said quietly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He felt horrified just thinking about Gakushuu being trapped in there for who knows how long.

Gakushuu’s lips stayed in a scowl. “What would even be the point?”

“Because I’m your friend!” Ren spluttered. “I can help.”

“How?” Gakushuu said coldly, keeping his eyes narrowed.

“By telling someone,” he replied firmly. “Your dad isn’t allowed to treat you like this. If you tell someone—”

“I already did,” Gakushuu interrupted dismissively, staring ahead. “They didn’t believe me.”

“What?” Ren’s brow furrowed. “That doesn’t make any sense.” Even though it probably did when he remembered the convincing smiles Gakushuu’s dad was able to plaster on. “There has to be someone who could help…”

Gakushuu shrugged, already growing closed off again. “There’s no real point of asking for help.” He grimaced. “What good would it do anyway?” His face twisted into a scowl. “Once I’m grown up, he’ll get what’s coming to him, but until then I just need to bear with it.”

“You can’t just put up with it for seven years!” Ren exclaimed.

“Yes, I can.” Gakushuu sounded certain. “I’ve lasted this long, and I’m getting stronger,” he said, staring at his shoes. “He hasn’t shoved me in the closet for months because I kicked the door down last time.”

Ren nearly choked. “What?”

Gakushuu sighed. “I just have to put up with it for a little while longer until I’m strong enough,” he told him. “Then I’ll leave and never see him again.”

“Gakushuu…” Ren looked at him sadly.

“If you want to be my friend then stop looking at me like that.” He glared at him. “And if you tell anyone about the closet or anything else like that, then I’ll never forgive you.”

“I’m just worried,” Ren insisted. “What if something really bad happens before you grow up, then what?” He frowned. “And how are you going to handle him watching your every move when you go to his school next year?”

Gakushuu looked annoyed. “I know what I’m doing,” he replied stubbornly. “I’m going to beat him and show him just how strong I am.” He clenched his hands tightly. “And I’ll do it alone if I have to, I don’t need anyone.” Then he frowned when a sad look overcast Ren’s face. “But…I do want you as a friend.”

Ren was apprehensive, wondering if he actually meant it. “…You do?”

“Yes,” he replied, sounding earnest. “You’re still my friend.” Some guilt crept into his voice. “I promise I’ll never ignore you again…”

Ren hesitated, some of the previous trust cracked after a month of being cut off, but still…not having Gakushuu around had felt like hell, to the point Ren hadn’t realised how much it could hurt to miss a person so much.

“…You promise?” Ren asked, looking at him warily. “Even if I ever get a higher mark than you again?”

Gakushuu held out his hand. “I promise.”

Ren dried his eyes with his hoodie sleeve before grasping the hand. “Okay.”

His friend squeezed his hand tight. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, well…” Ren smiled faintly. “Someone needs to watch your back in Kunugigaoka if your dad’s around.”

Gakushuu’s smile grew a little, letting go of his hand. “I’m surprised you still want to go…”

He didn’t in all honestly, but he couldn’t leave his best friend to that lying piece of dog crap of a father, and running away would be just what Mr Asano would want.

He wasn’t abandoning Gakushuu for anything or anyone. No matter how bad things may get, feeling a rise of protectiveness.

“Besides, I’m not falling for any more tricks your dad might try to pull on me.” He said in determination. “He might be able to fool everyone else, but he won’t fool us.”

Gakushuu’s smile was fuller now, genuine. “Good.” His smile became crooked. “I don’t think I'd be able to stand you if you were an idiot.”

“Hey!” Ren looked offended.

“You wanted me to be honest,” he replied, shrugging.

“Yeah, but not rude.” Ren scowled, but couldn’t really hold onto the outrage when he realised it became more apparent Gakushuu was his friend again. He started to grin and then winced when the bruise on his face swelled. “You know, you could have softened the hit…”

“I thought you were kidnapping me.” Gakushuu shrugged, standing up. “It was self-defense.”

Ren rubbed the bruise. “Yeah, but now it’s gonna bruise!”

Gakushuu didn’t seem concerned. “Then don’t sneak up on people.”

He huffed and followed after him. “But all the girls will think it’s ugly!” He pouted as they started to walk out of the school and onto the pathway. “It’ll ruin my face.”

“Then wear make-up.” Gakushuu rolled his eyes.

Ren thought about it. “My step-mom does have a lot.” He grinned, nudging his shoulder. “Help me put it on.”

“No.”

“But you caused it!” Ren felt a rise of outrage as they walked the usual path they took when walking home, as a moment of peace settled again.


End file.
